Star Wars: Redemption
by throughtheforests
Summary: Anakin finds himself back in his younger body, to complete a mission he had not finished during his life; redeem himself. Meanwhile Luke rebuilds the Jedi order.
1. Chapter 1

**I wrote this fic approximately four years ago. The first two chapters were written then, and the following chapters will be written now. My writing tone is different now that I'm 20. In any case, I hope you enjoy the ride!**

* * *

Everything was quiet. Darkness filled Anakin's vision, filled the whole universe entirely. He was aware of only one thing, that he had lost everything. There was nothing left that was his. His body, he had lost it during the fight with Obi-wan. His life, he had lost it on the Death Star, in the arms of his son. He had nothing. Not even his soul was his; he had lost it to the most beautiful woman ever. And his best friend, his companion who had been an acquaintance, a father, and then a brother, someone whose love he took for granted, he had betrayed and killed. He had destroyed everything he cared about.

But yet...even though he had destroyed everything, his son had come back for him. Luke had seen that there was something more to him, that he wasn't totally possessed by the dark side. He knew that there was still good in him, and it was true. He was the only one who had believed in him. He had saved him.

When he had found out that Luke was his son...that the children had survived, he had felt something that he hadn't felt in a long time. He had felt a need to be near him. He knew that this was the Anakin part of him wanting to see his son again. But he knew that he couldn't, that it was too late for him. He had let go of his son and any other kind of person when he had chosen his path.

Now he knew those thoughts were foolish. Luke was his son, and even though at first it was hard to see, he loved him. He knew now that he had been seduced by the dark side, and that he had let it control him. He only wished... he wished that he could have been with those that he loved.

No. He couldn't think of that. Over all these years he had forbidden himself to think of those that he had lost. He could feel the pain starting, but he refused to let it take over him. Instead he tried to clear his mind and focus on breathing. This was strange, since he hadn't actually breathed since...since...

He paused. No, it wasn't possible. He couldn't...his lungs, along with the rest of his body, were no more. And he was dead. He knew more than anything else that he had died. So how was it that he could breathe?

He took a deep breath, sucking in as much as he could, as if air was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. He could breathe! Joy, excitement and adrenaline pumped through his body, and he could feel himself smiling, as if defying the world. He flexed his fingers, moving them slowly, for they were stiff, and then clenched his muscles in his arms. He felt strong, and real.

Suddenly a thousand senses hit him hard, as if he had just gotten run over by a herd of racing banthas. Smells, senses, feelings...they all hit him hard, as if they were all trying to force themselves on him. He could feel the wind blowing gently against his body, through a layer of clothing.

He was lying on his back, in the middle of some forest. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and he suddenly felt incredibly tired, with a pounding head ache that kriffin' hurt. He decided that being run over by a herd of banthas wasn't actually that bad.

He sat up, rubbing his head. He was wearing his old Jedi suit. He even had his old lightsaber strapped to his side. He stared in amazement. He was in his old body again.

But he had died. The fight with the Emperor had taken it all out of him, and his body had been dying. He knew the feeling; it wasn't the first time he had been near death. And then finally, he was surrounded by nothing. Nothing was all there was, and he had become nothing. But then suddenly...what? Had he went back into the past?

No…for some reason he knew that he hadn't leapt through time. But he had died. So how was it possible that he was sitting in the middle of some forest, alive? And in his old body?

Suddenly he felt something in the Force. The feeling he got was from something, or someone, very strong in the Force. Reaching out to him through the Force. He jumped up and ignited his lightsaber, standing in his fighting stance. He felt out through the force to this unknown source of power.

And found…nothing. Even though he knew that there was unmistakably something in the Force, it had disappeared and he couldn't sense what it had been. Anakin deactivated his lightsaber almost casually, an old habit which he had never really lost. He wondered what it could be, but didn't find a need to rush to it.

_Patience_, he thought. _Rushing head-first into this won't help anything. I need to approach it carefully_. But for some reason his body seemed to react differently, his nerves on edge and adrenaline shooting through his body. Whatever it was that he sensed, he felt ready to face it, and strangely excited. He had never felt this alive since he was young…since he was a Jedi. A Jedi Knight, just like Obi-wan, and Master Yoda…Anakin felt remorse begin to seep through him, but he repressed it forcefully. _This isn't the time, he consoled himself. I need to focus on the mission at hand_.

He fingered the hilt of his lightsaber, pensive. He was stuck in the middle of some unknown planet, without any means of contacting another person, Or, Anakin thought morosely, any Jedi. He didn't know what had happened to Luke after he had….well, after then and he knew that anything could have happened to him. His brow pulled down as he worried about his son, but suddenly a new determination filled his eyes. He vowed to himself that if he could get off this planet, and if Luke was still out there somewhere, he would find him. He would make up for this mess. He had to. And the Force seemed to want him to go search for the source of power he had felt moments before. He jumped over a dead tree, and started running in the direction he felt the source of the push was located, a new determination burning in his eyes.

_I'll make up for it, Luke. I will_.

* * *

The black space in front of him was calm, and quiet, and Luke enjoyed the soft hum as he piloted through space with no one but R2 by his side. Now that the Empire had fallen, he had taken the task to reform the Jedi Order. It was a difficult task, but he had help and support of many around the galaxy. He had offers to join the government, but he had refused. It was certain he had changed a lot during his adventures, but those kind of things weren't for him. He was a Jedi, he would take the path of Jedi.

Luke had been traveling for a few months, recruiting force sensitives around the galaxy and training them. Once he was assured that their training was as close to complete as it could get in the short amount of time he had, he left them to recruit and train on that world. He checked up on most of them every month, to make sure all was well. He had hundreds of Jedi so far, but that number was still so small compared to what it had been many years ago, before he was born.

Luke was garbed in a Jedi robe, his hair longer than it usually was and his skin was dark. He had just left from a visit on Veresa, a hot planet made of mostly all sand dunes, where the people lived mostly hidden behind rocks. The training there had been hard, for both him and his students, but he had come to love it. They were all wild there, getting around by machines they called terasu, old, dirty pieces of equipment with four wheels that got them around efficiently enough. He had met many a worthy Jedi, and he was confident they would do well. Around his head was a red band, representing his high status.

They all wore them there, the lowest color being green. There had been only a few red bands there, making him respected. He also bore a few tattoos on his arm from that planet and a few other ones he had visited. Of course the people from Veresa had to make the largest one; they were a proud people. There were still a few remnants of the Empire there, and Luke had seen first-hand that just because the Emperor had fallen, it didn't mean his ways had too. They had fought hard against the last of the Empire, which they called mahirs. The people had fought fiercely, and Luke had been very proud of the Jedi he had trained. He smiled, remembering those moments.

He checked the radars and pushed a few buttons, redirecting course. R2 beeped and whistled in confusion and Luke grinned.

"Don't worry R2, we're not going far." he said, laughing slightly at his friend's distress. R2 was quite excited to find more candidates for training. "We're just going to stop by and meet up with some friends.

His X-Wing soared over to the right and jumped into hyperspace, flashing in a blink and appearing a few minutes away from the Millennium Falcon. Luke worked on the correct switches and commed the ship. Suddenly an old friend's face appeared on the screen in front of him.

"Millennium Falcon, Han Solo reporting." said Han's face as it popped up on the screen. "Identification?" Luke grinned; his friend's voice was gruff, as usual.

"X-Wing, pilot number 24356 reporting. Demanding access to land on your vessel." Han's eyebrow raised slightly, upset at being demanded to do anything.

"Permission granted," Han said somewhat grudgingly. "But make it quick, alright?" the screen went black as he slammed it shut. Luke chuckled and shook his head, his eyes gleaming happily. He had missed his friends. He realized in that instant how much he had changed, and wondered curiously how different they would be.

His X-Wing entered the landing zone of the Falcon, and Luke boarded the ship, hopping down and saying quick farewells to R2. He walked through the Falcon calmly and with a smile, remembering how many moments he had had on the ship. He rested a hand against the side of the ship, his eyes distant. He had spent so much time of his life here…he felt as if the walls welcomed him back. And suddenly he had a flash of memory of his trainer, Old Ben. He hadn't thought of him in forever, but the memory brought back so much pain he felt his chest heave. I lose everyone. he thought, clenching his jaw hard, trying to suppress the thought, and failing.

He had spent so much time on other worlds, and during those times he had lost many in wars and fights. Not as many as the war against the Empire, for sure, but he had lost them. And the way he dealt with their deaths wasn't the same, either; before he had been young, naïve and full of adventure; know he was a bit more hardened by war. There was no more oppression, but all their deaths dealt a hard blow on him. He hurt for both those who had died recently, and those who had died before. Luke snapped out of it as he heard footsteps click to a halt in the hallway, and his eyes widened in surprise. He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't sensed the presence approaching him. He scolded himself silently, making sure to keep that in check. He knew well enough that letting his awareness down for even a second could result in death, or worse.

Han stood in front of him, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, and looking irritated. A grin slipped across Luke's face unintentionally as he perceived his friend a few paces away from him. He hadn't changed.

"Look buddy, you didn't exactly come at the right time." he said, sarcasm loading his voice as usual. "We've got places to be, so whatever it is you want, make it quick." Luke turned to face him, his hood somewhat concealing his features.

"I come for news," he said, realizing in shock once again how different his voice was compared to Han's. His accent had changed deeply, and he noted with some amusement that it was harsher, like the language of the last planet he had left. He knew the people there would be hooting and cheering rowdily if they had discovered how deeply his time there had changed him.

"Yeah, and what exactly would that…." Han's crossed his arms and peered at Luke, looking distraught for a moment. "Have we…" And then his eyes widened and his mouth dropped, looking completely and utterly shocked.

"…kid?" he whispered, the quietness of his voice echoing against the walls. Luke chuckled deeply. "Luke!" he exclaimed loudly and ran over to him, grabbing him into a fierce hug. Luke laughed the whole while, consumed with joy at seeing his old friend again. Han pushed him back so he could get a better look at him.

"How've you been, kid? We haven't heard from you for bout' a year now, after the Alliance Shortage!" Han literally beamed with excitement. He looked his old friend over. "You sure look different. You must have some stories to tell." He clapped Luke loudly on the back, grinning.

"It sure is good to have you back." he said warmly. Luke nodded.

"Yeah, it sure is." he grinned widely.

"Come on, you must be tired. I'll get you something to drink." The two men, still grinning amiably walked to the kitchen; Luke didn't need directions, he would never forget how to get around the Falcon. The whole ship was permanently itched into his memory. Luke sat down heavily on a chair, grateful to be able to have some rest. Han got them two drinks and placed them on the table as he sat. The pilot eyed his belt scrupulously.

"Is that a new lightsaber?" he asked, somewhat curiously, somewhat astonished. "I didn't think you would give away your old one." Luke looked down at the lightsaber attached to his belt and shook his head.

"No, I would never be able to let go of this." he moved his cloak, revealing a second lightsaber attached to his hip. His mind scrambled for an explanation, but in the end settled with saying, "It was a gift." Han assumed there was some story behind it all that began on some faraway planet, and reserved to let his friend tell him at another time. Instead he decided to switch the subject, leaning his elbow against the table and taking a swig with his other free hand.

"So how are the force sensies going? Find much of anything out there in the rim?" he inquired, referring to the Force sensitives in the outer galaxy that Luke had set out years back to find.

"I've visited many planets while I was away and the Jedi there are spectacular." Luke made a mental note to aboard the subject later on. He had many things to tell Han, and hopefully Leia, if she was here. "But what of you? You must have found some in your journeys."

Han hummed and arched his neck back, presumably remembering the exact moments of his "journeys". Luke had offered him a job to become a pilot for the Alliance, but Han had, in polite terms, refused. What had actually went on after that proposal involved many blaster shots and a few vulgar words, but Luke preferred to block that out from his memory. Instead Han had become something of a smuggler, unable to keep away from his old ways. But his new employ was a little more legal than before, while still keeping that sense of danger and adventure that Han just couldn't seem to live without.

Even though it would have been nice, and Luke wishes it were so, the victory of the Alliance hadn't swept over every planet in existence. There were still some planets that suffered, and he and many others were doing all they could to get rid of this. But sometimes their efforts were futile. Usually these planets were small, and out of the way; and even though Luke would love to be able to send many over, the number of people willing or able to serve were scarce, and there were much more important, as the government would say, to attend, which Luke deemed reasonable; rebuilding the Republic.

Han's job is to smuggle things in to those planets that are under control from the remnants of the Empire. He hates leaving those people with nothing but what he brings them, feeling useless as he's unable to attack them and set those people free. There were worlds where slavery still existed, where people were confined to the worst pieces of land ever given to human beings, but they still lived on. He wanted deeply to rush in, shoot a few people, and save them all, but it wasn't that easy; situations were more delicate than before, when the only thing he had to do was aim and shoot and everything was fixed. Now there were alliances, and politics; if he shot one person to save thousands, he might be endangering the lives of millions. And so for now, all he could do was smuggle in a few things and try not to shoot anybody. But that concept was rarely put to use with Han. And anyway, he felt better at the end of the day if he had successfully shot one of those Empire scumbags.

"We found quite a few, actually." he muttered, first staring off darkly and then grinning in satisfaction, probably remembering what it had felt like to shoot one of the Empire remnants. He turned to face Luke. "A few of em' are on the Falcon right now. They needed transport, and since we found em' we suggested that they come with us to follow your training. We were just about to dump them off on a world where we knew they would be taken well care of." he paused, soaking in the presence of the friend who sat in front of him. "We really weren't expecting to see you for a long time."

"I'll have to meet them soon." Luke felt content; finally, everything seemed to be working out. He sensed a flare in the Force, and turned quickly around to spot Leia, who was looking into the room with a smile.

"Luke!" she exclaimed, smiling. "Welcome back."

"Leia," Luke rose and met Leia with a brief hug, stepping back to place a hand on her shoulder. "You look beautiful. I can't tell you how much I've missed hearing your voice."

She was dressed in khaki pants and combat boots with her long hair pulled back. Around her shoulders was a bag, and Luke guessed that Han and Leia had just finished or were preparing for a smuggling job. She glanced over at Han. Luke was surprised to see the amount of affection contained in her gaze. He had known their romance to be something of a passionate thing, thrown together in terrible times, finding comfort in the arms of someone who, they felt, could protect them. But now there was something more, and Luke once again realized how long he had been gone; their glances held something deeper, something more powerful. Han stood and walked over beside her.

"I sensed you, as soon as you revealed your presence to Han. Sorry I couldn't make it right away; I'm a little burdened at the moment."

Luke raised an eyebrow, not exactly understanding her meaning. Leia's face became flushed and she laughed, moving the subject on to something else.

"Luke, we have so much to catch up on, but Han and I were just preparing for a stop on our next planet." she said, confirming Luke's assumptions. A few seconds after a siren went off, and Han looked up toward the sound.

"That's my cue," he said motioning toward the cockpit. "I'll talk to you later, Luke." he said and headed off to prepare for landing.

Leia seemed to want to join him, watching him go with something like longing and warmth. She turned to her brother motioning to her outfit.

"You're welcome to join us. There are probably a few Force sensitives, if what I've sensed is correct. You may be able to find someone worth finding."

She began putting together a large blaster, which she strapped around her back. Luke felt a pang of sadness as he realized how much both of them had changed. He barely recognized his own sister. He noticed that as she offered, her voice handled some kind of doubt, and the look in her eyes was somewhat pleading, but at the same time accepted whatever choice he would make. She didn't want this to end up like last time; him coming and going, leaving them for months without any news, and even longer without hearing about him. He nodded, smiling.

"I'll join you."

* * *

Anakin ran through the forest, the trees nothing but a blur around him as he searched furiously for whatever he had sensed in the Force. There was literally nothing to be found in this forest except for the occasional machine, buried in the vines and rusted over time. He assumed that years ago there had been some kind of battle that had taken place, but he paid it almost no mind. He raced through the trees, leaping and jumping, his lightsaber ready to be activated if needed.

_What could it be_? he wondered. I suppose it doesn't matter, as long as it has some means of getting of this moss pit.

He stopped suddenly on the crest of a mountain of rocks as he felt something in the Force. He paused, the shadows from the sun accentuating his face, and reached out slowly to it through the Force. And then Anakin went flying to the ground as the explosion in the Force pushed him away. He gasped, hitting his head to the ground and bounded up quickly to his feet, igniting his lightsaber and began rushing toward the source. He knew now where it was, and the sudden realization of its power sent his heart racing. Blaster shots rang out abruptly in the air, echoing against the walls of the rocks surrounding him and Anakin rolled and ducked almost automatically, his body remembering his old Jedi training when his mind had forgotten.

Dust from Anakin's jump and smoke from the blaster shots filled the air, masking his presence for a few seconds. Anakin's mind was already racing. As soon as his vision was clear he peered up and found a group of at least ten men staring down from above on rocks shrouded in trees. They had been very well hidden. Anakin cursed himself for not being careful enough while his mind was so focused on his mission. These men definitely weren't what he had been searching for; their presence in the Force was very dim, and he wondered if they were hiding themselves somehow. The air tasted of dirt and his mouth was dry. The clunking of blasters against legs could be heard as the men shuffled around overhead, and in Anakin's ears, his own quiet breathing that would have been hard, had he not been trying to remain as silent as possible.

"I'll kill you," said one of the men under his breath. His voice was full of hatred, and totally without mercy. Anakin pressed his back closer against the rock, concealing himself. He couldn't very well reveal himself; they would probably fire at him immediately, after hearing the man's death wish. He decided he would spring on them, overpower them, and then let them explain. As he stood to do so, gripping his lightsaber hard, his face met with the nozzle of a blaster, held in the hands of a highly trained female from the group who had snuck around stealthily to where he had been hidden. Anakin scowled angrily, and the girl's face remained emotionless, her weapon poised to his head.

"I don't want to fight you," Anakin said, trying to suppress his annoyance but the threat was not very well hidden.

The woman didn't move an inch, the only thing changing being the hostility in her eyes. Anakin's lightsaber ignited with a hum and he quickly thrust his Force powers to disarm her of her weapon, pushing out toward her body to make her fall. The girl staggered back, and when Anakin snapped his lightsaber to life and struck down, she was already on the move, lashing out with a kick directed to his legs that hit hard. Normally he would have been able take her down in mere seconds, but considering he had just returned from the dead he wasn't in top shape.

He noticed with an astonished confusion that his Force powers were very, very weak. He had barely been able to push the girl a few steps, let alone feet. He paused silently as he lay on the ground, the blaster pressing against his back and the dark skinned woman's harsh breathing above him, and then screamed, which tore into a howl as his flesh was pierced with a beam shot from a blaster. He tried to bite his bottom lip to silence himself but couldn't help but howl, as if the sound were trying to break free of his chest. He grabbed his lightsaber and lashed out with his good arm at the weapon, cutting it in half and Force pushed at her with all his power. Screams from the men could be heard as they jumped down.

"Get him!"

"Lieutenant, bind him! Don't let him get away again!"

He glared at the woman with deep loathing and gasped, clutching his limp arm. From above he sensed something falling toward him, a net, and cut through it easily. He heard indignant yells and then a blast, rupturing in his ears, and then once again he felt the beam pierce through his skin, and he yelled, but not as long as last time. His blood began to boil, his eyes becoming lost in the madness of the fight. He reached out to all the men and threw them across and into the rock in every direction, their armoured bodies slapping against the rock and denting it.

Anakin stood in the middle of the clearing of rock, breathing roughly and clutching at his arm, standing slumped over to one side in pain. He scowled, lightsaber ignited but resting by his thigh as he kept the men suppressed. Now that they were powerless and most of them disarmed, he needed to asses the situation. They had come after him, trying to kill him for reasons unknown. Perhaps it was a matter of territory, or just a traditional hate towards Jedi. Truly it didn't matter; all he wanted to do right now was cut of all their heads and throw them into a pit. Anger clouded his judgement, and he decided he would choke the answers out of them. He lifted up his hand toward one of the men, who looked up at him with fear, but the same time bravery, and hate. This man was courageous, but at the same time Anakin hated him too much to let him go easily. He let the Force wrap around him and let himself guide it, and then-

"Not so fast," whispered a voice quickly from behind him.

He felt the cold steel of a knife pressing against his neck, and found strangely that he couldn't push it away with the Force, and that he didn't sense anyone near him at all. He decided to use his fighting skills and threw out his elbow behind him to hit whoever it was in the stomach. The person shifted out of his way and moved Anakin with him, drawing blood from his neck.

"I'd drop that if I were you," said the voice, which Anakin assumed now was a man.

He felt a light tapping on the hand that held his lightsaber. The men and women he had been fighting had been released from his hold, and were sitting angrily and some smugly. He had a strong urge to tell the man behind him to go to hell and flip over him, breaking his neck, but he felt that his opponent was strong, armoured, and Anakin was outnumbered. Not that that had stopped him before, but at the same time he knew that they would just keep fighting him, and he wouldn't get answers. He closed his eyes, attempting to calm his emotions. Jedi do not fight with hatred, he reminded himself.

"Who are you?" Anakin asked, trying to suppress his dislike of the situation. The man laughed and Anakin received more than one loathing glare from the attackers. He felt, in answer, the knife press harder against his skin and he flinched.

"No questions." he whispered. "And no resisting this time. I'm not sure why you're weak, or how you got down here, but I'll tell you this." the man paused, and Anakin could almost feel the rage pulsing through his body that pressed against his. "I am never, not ever, going to let you forget for one second what a kriffing sith-pit you put us through." and then with a ferocious severity he cut all the way down Anakin's arm, and hit him savagely in the head with a blaster. And then everything was, once again, dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin woke to find his arm to be twisted under him and grimaced, sucking in air between his teeth in shock. He tried to move himself to lessen the pain but found his elbow to be hitched against a rock, sending his mind roaring with pain. Alright, so he was stuck, and wounded. He closed his eyes and tried to reach a meditative state, battling with the distracting pain, and used the Jedi pain suppression trick. Once his body was numb, his mind sped to think of what had happened.

From what he remembered, he had been ambushed. The source in the Force had been leading him somewhere, and halfway there he had been attacked. There were numerous possibilities as to how that had happened, but Anakin took a breath and considered them all carefully, evaluating the situation once again with his Jedi mind.

They could have sent out a push in the Force, if any of them were sensitives. This was highly possible, considering he couldn't even sense one of them. He felt the energy slowly sap out of him, and knew he needed meds, or something to heal himself before the pain took over and he risked dying.

Another possibility was that they could have been following the same push in the Force as he did and decided to intercept him to reach it first. That, or they had been following him all along. He still didn't know how he had gotten here, or how he was alive. There were too many invariables to make sense of it all just yet. He couldn't think rationally about something that he didn't even understand yet. He needed to act and gather information.

Anakin reached out to the Force, searching the great energy field for what he had sensed earlier, and came up with nothing. He sighed, but suddenly felt himself come alive again as it sought him out. It was there, and it was still calling to him as strongly as before. So they must not have been looking for it, or haven't found it yet. He knew more than anything that finding it would give him the answers he was looking for and would begin his mission.

He also knew firmly that this wasn't his attackers. If it was, he would grudgingly congratulate them on their stealth.

Anakin clenched his teeth as he tried to pick himself up off the ground, unable to feel the pain but finding it difficult to move all the same. He knew soon he would no longer be able to suppress the pain he felt and he would be crippled. His Force powers were dwindling, either from being wounded or from returning to life. _And how did that even happen?_ he wondered, but knew that question could wait. He had to survive first.

He checked his inventory. He still wore his boots and Jedi clothes, though seriously torn and scraped from the battle and resembling more bloodied rags than clothing. Fine, he was used to that. As far as he knew his arm had gotten hit by one of their blasters, as well as his leg, rendering both useless.

He also had a long gash all the way down his forearm from the vibroblade the man hidden in the Force had cut him with. If he could find a crutch, Anakin decided he might be able to make it far enough to find the source of the Force. He shut his mind as he tried to remember details from the fight that he could use to his advantage.

During the flurry of attacks, he had picked up outraged thoughts and cold precision from the soldiers. But he had also caught strands of thoughts. Most of them were intertwined and he couldn't make them out, but bits and pieces he retrieved. "…_let him loose, unarmed…retrieve him later._.". Anakin had no doubt they had something planned.

Suddenly he heard boots press against the ground, and looked up to find two dark eyes staring intensely into his and the feel of a blaster's barrel pressing down on him.

"We've searched you up and down, and still we couldn't find a thing." The inquisitor's gaze was smothering. "Tell us what we want to know or you'll be dead in the next second."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Anakin said, wincing in pain and choking back a yell as the suppression trick began to wear off. He tried to quickly scan their surroundings and find a way out.

"Where are your troops?" he asked loudly, his tone threatening. Jedis could read people, and Anakin knew he wouldn't hesitate to shoot. He also had proof in his wounds.

"Troops?" Anakin snarled, feeling disgusted. "You're obviously very confused…"

"Look, Jedi." he pressed the blade closer to his skin, and Anakin was reminded of the gash down his arm. "I'm not one to listen to lies."

Anakin wasn't sure what to do. He reached out in the Force, and suddenly found himself completely filled with energy. Whatever that push was, it was on his side.

The man seemed to sense it, too, and jumped away from him, almost scrambling on the ground, but he wasn't fast enough. Anakin stood and flung him away with the Force, as far as he could muster.

_Now it's my turn to ask questions_, Anakin thought.

* * *

"What's the plan?" Luke asked, his eyes intent as he watched the map being placed out. Blueprints. His eyes scanned every inch of it, the exits, hallways, posts. He decided what kind of attack manoeuvres were appropriate for the amount of space they had, how far he could throw someone with the Force-how fast he could kill someone. But only if necessary. He stood firm in his decision to make it not so.

"It's quite a complex mission," Leia said, hands on her hips. "Once we get there, we'll be able to find a military base left from the war. That's where they're posted. The building covers, so we'll have to move fast; they'll notice us once we walk in. It'll be a straight fight. Then we take the goods and get out quickly."

"How long until we reach the planet?" Luke asked, calculating the time it would take them, the squadrons he could assume. Han rubbed his jaw, his brow furrowed as he thought, and then looked up at his old friend.

"Not long from now. We have to make a stop mid-way."

"A stop?" Luke asked, frowning.

"We're meeting up with some friends. They're going to help us on this mission." he said. "And it appears as though they'll be needing weapons, of the technological kind." Han said, clasping his hands together. "We stocked up during our last trip. When their defences go down, I'm sure they won't mind blowing up a few Imperials."

"So, we offer them weapons." he paused. "What else?"

"They've got a rough time ahead of them by joining this mission or just living it out in the forest. They live in camps, temporarily as they've been constantly sought out by bounty hunters working for the Remnants; we're guessing the reasons are because they're bent on completely dominating the planet and want to rid it of any opposing parties. We can offer supplies like water and meds. In reality, we can offer them life."

"So we know how to bribe them." he nodded. And then suddenly his eyes widened. "Wait." Luke said, suddenly, his body becoming rigid. "I…sense something." Leia and Han had no doubt he meant in the Force.

"Is that something good or bad, kid?" Han asked, and his voice had that edge to it, almost fearful. When he didn't answer, Leia asked with hidden anxiety,

"Luke? Luke, what's the matter?"

"I know what we're up against. These aren't just Imperials we're raiding from." Luke said eventually, and his voice was much deeper and graver than Leia could ever remember it being. He looked up to meet her eyes. "It seems there are powers of the Dark side on this planet." he looked away, and almost spat the word as if it were distasteful, "Jedi."

"Jedi? But how is that possible? And trained in the dark uses of the Force…" she trailed off, her eyes thoughtful.

"I don't know," Luke said, and it was obvious he believed it warranted much more thought, although there wasn't much time or room for thought at the moment. What they needed was action. "But they're there, I can feel them. The real task is going to be rooting them out."

"This is too big for us," Han said, shaking his head in defeat. "Last time we had hundreds of men behind our backs, helping us along. Now it's just us in this big old black and we have nothing to fight it with." Luke paused, looking grimly to the ground.

"You're right." Luke said bleakly. "Last time we fought something this big we had people behind our back at every turn." he paused, looking sadly off to the side, remembering the faces of those he had once known, their confident touches on each other's shoulders, their hardships and the beaming smiles of others. They were all gone now. He clasped his hands together, looking thoughtfully at Han. "But I think this is the kind of job we're looking for." Han's eyebrows creased, and he looked like he was going to launch into an argument, when suddenly Leia joined into the conversation.

"I think Luke's right," she said, her voice clear and true, reminding them all of her days as royalty. "This is _exactly_ the job for us. We can face it, whatever it is." Han rolled his eyes, looking off to the side angrily. Finally he sighed, complacent.

"What wouldn't I do for you, sweetheart?" Leia grinned and Luke half-smiled as Han's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You're both insane. I still wonder why I ever decided to be friends with either of you."


	3. Chapter 3

Luke headed down the steel stairs of the _Millennium Falcon_ to meet the Force-sensitives his sister and her husband had collected during the time they had been separated. He was impressed by the differences of the ship; Han had gained enough credits to add upgrades to his baby. Luke smiled as he observed these changes, feeling both nostalgic and at home. He had had experienced many content times on this freighter with his friends and family, not excluding his old teacher, Obi-wan Kenobi. Luke felt his chest grow heavy at the thought of Old Ben, as it always did, and told himself not to be so sorrowful. He knew the Force had claimed him, just as it did every Jedi that had lost their life in the fight against the evils of the Empire. Luke would have to console himself with those thoughts.

Perhaps by reflecting on these memories, Luke was filled with the recollection of Obi-wan's aura, or perhaps one of the Force-sensitives projected a similar vibe. Either way, Luke stopped dead in his tracks before meeting the gaze of three of the people who had joined their team. On the far right of the room stood a saurian, cooling by one of the vents. Luke had often found reptilian species to be difficult to read: however, he could sense in the Force that this one was not hostile. Upon further observation, Luke determined that this new recruit must be a Chistori, and felt slightly shocked. It was not common that his people were sensitive to the Force, but Luke knew he most definitely was. The Master Jedi could feel the Force swirling around him strongly.

Next he flicked his gaze to the blue Twi'lek girl sitting neatly on a cushion, her back straight. Her eyes were wide and bright, and when they met his, she smiled. Luke sensed she was good-natured, and by the looks of it, quite timid. He could sense a human male presence in the other room.

"Welcome," Luke said, extending his arms white, and extending a vibe of greeting through the Force to them. The young Twi'lek pushed back, fainter than his own control of the Force, but still present. _Very good_, Luke thought, impressed. The saurian's eyes narrowed, and he flicked out his tongue, but remained silent. "My name is Master Luke Skywalker. I'm here to train you in the ways of the Force. If I believe you to be fit to become Jedi."

"What if we do not wisssh to be Jediiii?" the Christori asked, his tongue flicking out of his strong jaw as he spoke.

"Then you will not," Luke explained. "I'm not here to force anyone into positions they would rather not be in. I'm merely here to help you explore your abilities in the Force, and perhaps open your eyes to our ways." The saurian snorted.

"I know little of the ways of Jedi. But I do know thisss: they do not train them once they are not younglings."

"I will admit, it is uncommon in the old tradition to allow people who have left their childhood to become Jedi," Luke confessed. "But we no longer follow this tradition."

"When do we start?" piped up the Twi'lek girl. From what Luke could discern, she was about 14 years old, if not more.

"Well, we're taking a detour right now. But before we land on the planet, I'll be able to test both of you a little, to see where you're at in your development."

"I handle weaponsss better than using Force-trickss," said the Chistori.

"That's completely fine," Luke said peaceably, noticing the mistrust in the saurian's voice. "You will make a good warrior, then, better than the non-Force users. Combining Force skills with the use of a blaster or other weaponry can be very advantageous."

"I, uh...I can't do much," said the Twi'lek girl sheepishly. "But I can use the Force to push things. Move them around. A little." Luke nodded approvingly.

"Good. We will work on this." Luke felt a flicker in the Force, emanating from the room next to theirs, and couldn't help but wonder about the recruit that hid from him. "Now, would you mind introducing yourselves?"

"My name is Bsshk-kar," the Chistori offered, but made no offer to give further information. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and snorted, flaring his nostrils. Luke nodded, understanding that it would take time to win their trust. He turned to the girl with a questioning look in his eyes.

"And you?" he asked.

"My name is Ayy," she replied shyly, curling her fingers into the palms of her hands and rubbing them against her pant-leg. When she moved, the gold chains wrapped around her arms jingled together.

"And...where is the other one?"

"Oh," the Twi'lek girl's eyes widened, as they perpetually seemed to do. "You mean Ben. Ben, come out! He's nice, I promise." A young boy with light brown hair appeared then in the doorway, a stern look on his face. He seemed to be around the same age as the Twi'lek girl, and there was deep mistrust coming from both his expression and the Force. Luke decided to approach him cautiously, and demonstrate that he meant him well.

"Greetings," Luke said in way of introduction. "My name is Luke Skywalker. I'm a Jedi Master, here to help all of you. And you are?" The boy's eyes flicked to his two Force-sensitive companions angrily, as if to say: _why didn't you warn me he was out here_? The Chistori chuckled slightly, the laugh mixed with a whistling noise, and Luke felt the embarrassment flood the Force. He decided to try once more.

"I'd like to know your names, at least, if I'm going to be flying with you." The boy turned his eyes to him, and let his powers seep out into the Force. Luke stumbled backwards, surprised by the depth of his strength.

"My name is Ben Kenobi," he said. "And I want to get _off_ this ship as soon as possible."

Anakin felt his nostrils flare and his breath come quickly as tendrils of power rushed through his chest to his fingertips. Through the Force, he can tell that he and his interrogator were being observed, and it wouldn't be long until his friends appeared to tie Anakin down once more. _I don't think so_, Anakin thought, readying himself for a fight. He didn't know why he had been able to access the Force for so long, but now it had most definitely returned, and filled him with life. Anakin sprinted over to the soldier he had Force thrown and knelt down next to his unconscious body, searching for his lightsaber. He patted down the man's body swiftly, and found nothing other than a sheath for a knife. It was clear this man didn't have the Jedi's weapon on him._ Someone else must be safeguarding it, then_, Anakin thought quickly, his mind racing.

Looking up to the luscious green tress surrounding them, he could feel his foes approaching, hidden within the foliage. When he closed his eyes, he could hear their boots cracking on the rocks and sand beneath their feet. Furthermore, Anakin could sense their fear through the Force—and that was what was most important. His fingers paused on the hilt of the knife, then drew it out of the scabbard. His eyes wandered over the man's throat, wishing to draw blood as his interrogator had done to him. _Revenge_. Oh how sweet revenge had been for him. In one quick stroke, he would be able to slice through the thin membrane and take this man's life.

_No_. Anakin felt a tremor run through his body, and a sensation that could only be described as a pull—as if someone had taken him firmly by the shoulders and resisted his movement towards his enemy, though he did not move. The source of energy which had renewed his Force sensitivity was speaking to him, and urging him to save this man's life.

"Fine," Anakin mumbled, tearing the sheath off the man's hips and strapping it on to his own. "I'll leave him be. Now tell me, who are you?"

The answer was not immediate, nor did Anakin hear it. He felt it. The Force told him to follow his senses. A brief image of a lake flashed through his mind, giving him a destination.

_Go_, the voice told him.

He went.

Luke stared wide-eyed at the obstinate young boy standing in front of him. Not only did this boy possess the feeling of Obi-wan Kenobi, but he bore his name, as well. This was too much of a coincidence, and immediately Luke felt himself become hostile. _Could someone have set this up as a trap_? he wondered. There was no other explanation. The Jedi Master slipped his hand to the hilt of his lightsaber, preparing himself to throw the boy with the Force if necessary. Though this Kenobi's powers were great, he was no match for Skywalker.

"Explain yourself," Luke ordered. The other two Force-sensitives sensed the shift in the atmosphere.

"What?" Ayy squeaked. "What's going on? Are we in trouble?"

"Let the Jedi tend to his business," Bsshk-kar hissed, and Luke briefly shot him a look of gratitude. Ayy was then silenced, her expression one of deep consternation.

"That's right," Luke said. "This is Jedi business. Now tell me, who sent you here, and with what purpose? Are you a member of the Imperial Remnants?" Confusion flooded the Force, and Luke could tell the boy was insulted by his presupposition.

"_Me_? In league with _them_? No! I hate them! They're not worth a pile of bantha shit!" he cried defensively, throwing out his arms. Luke frowned.

"Then who are you?" he asked. "It is not likely that a Force sensitive ends up on my brother in law's ship sporting the name of my old master, and one of the greatest Jedi in the universe." He shook his head. "I've heard of parents naming their children after us, and members of the Alliance, but you're too old for that." Luke took two steps forward, close enough to intimidate the boy. "Now. Tell me. Where do you come from, and why are you here?"

"I'm here to find answers," Ben replied, lifting his chin up high. He did not balk in the face of Luke's power, though he could undoubtedly feel it flare around him in the Force, surrounding him completely. Any wise man, or boy, would have flinched. Luke could tell it was taking the boy a large amount of self control not to move from where he stood.

"Answers to what, exactly?"

"To who I _am_!" he exclaimed. "I don't even know! All I know is that I can feel the Force. That it helped guide me. And it brought me to this ship, and to that pirate and his wife!" Luke crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"They are trustworthy people," he replied. "No matter their professions. And they are heroes. You should know that. Han Solo and Leia Organa are not names that go missed these days."

"But I don't know them," Ben replied flatly, and Luke thought he saw tears brimming the boys eyes. "I don't know anything and I know I should. But I don't!" Frustration filled his final words, and anger burst into Luke's emphatic senses. Finally, Ayy stepped in after pursing her lips and rocking back and forth, clearly wishing to intervene and break the tension. She wrapped an arm around Ben's shoulders. The boy remained tense, but he allowed it.

"Ben doesn't remember much of his past, besides the feeling of the Force," she explained calmly. "We're trying to help him work this out. But there is no evil in him. Can't you sense that, Master Skywalker?" Luke frowned and clenched his jaw, but he couldn't help but nod. It was true. He did not sense the dark side of the Force in this boy. There was much pain and anguish, true, but the Jedi Master could not sense any ill intent—towards him, or any other members of the crew. He relaxed.

"My apologies," Luke said. "But your name is exactly that of my old master, who was killed at the hands of Darth Vader. Not only that, but you have his energy. I don't know how this is possible. I believe someone, possibly an agent of the Dark Side, is using you to infiltrate my ship. Until we are certain of this, we will have to put you in lock down." Ayy opened her mouth to protest, but in one movement of his hand, Luke silenced her. "Do not worry for him. He will be well treated. We merely need to verify that we are not putting ourselves in danger. This is for all of our safety, including his."

"I didn't do anything wrong," Ben insisted, the fury pulsing through his eyes. "I don't deserve to be in a cell."

"But you don't know that," Luke said calmly. "You don't remember who you are. And until you do, we need to keep you contained."

"No!" Ben yelled. "I'm done with this! I'm done with following this stupid Force, telling me to go here, do this, listen to the Jedi—I'm so done! No more! I-" but before he could finish his sentence, the saurian warrior chopped him swiftly in the neck, and the boy fell to the ground, his legs giving out before the rest of his body followed. Luke frowned disapprovingly.

"You didn't need to do that," he insisted. "I had this under control." The Chistori snorted and blew out air from his nostrils, and Luke felt humor drift to him through the Froce.

"Jediii take too long with thessse things," he replied, then returned to his seat near the cooling vents, in silence. Luke smiled bemusedly, and turned to the blue Twi'lek girl.

"Please, Ayy, if you would not mind," Luke said, lifting the boy's head from the ground. He was knocked out cold. "I need help bringing him to his cell."

Ayy nodded, her eyes full of worry.

Anakin sped through the forest, enhancing his stealth by masking his presence in the Force as much as possible. Though it wouldn't hide him from another Jedi, it would hide him from untrained Force-sensitives, as some of these people obviously were. He moved branches out of his way with the Force, clearing his path so he might following the pull more swiftly. The source was one he recognized, dimly, as he approached it. And the closer he found himself to be, the more a song filled his head. It was as if he had known the song in his childhood, and only remembered pieces of it now—whether it was the melody, or a few silently whispered words. Anakin knew when he was going in the wrong direction, because the pull in the Force would become stronger, and the music would go silent. He could sense minds in the Force filled with fear and hostility, and knew his enemies were looking for him. He, too, felt fear-for how lost was Jedi without his lightsaber? Once he found the person pulling him through the Force, he would go retrieve it. Even if it meant Force pushing ever single one of them down.

Moving the final branch aside and stepping over a rise in the earthy ground, Anakin arrived at the lake. Shrouded with trees, it was surrounded by a wall of rock, and the water within the pool was clear blue. The song now was quite clear, and Anakin recognized the voice. He spun on his heels to meet with the ghostly figure of a woman for whom he had given up so much of his life.

"Padme?" he asked, not believing his eyes, nor trusting himself to speak. "But...how can it be? You died...you..." Anakin trembled, but there was no doubt about it. This was no illusion. She was too detailed, too..._real_. He would never forget how she felt through the Force, not when they had been so closely linked, through their mind and body.

"My dear Anakin," his wife said, stepping over to him. Her every movement was lithe and beautiful, now that she was in this ethereal form. "I've missed you. Oh, Ani, don't cry." But he couldn't believe it. He couldn't hold back the emotions that he had denied himself to feel for years, when he had become Darth Vader.

"Please forgive me," he whispered, through his tears. He did not trust his voice to function properly while tremors shook his frame. "Please, please. Please. I beg you."

"Anakin, Anakin," her hands floated near his face, but since her body consisted of vapours, she could not touch him. "Shh, please. Find calm. I do not have long to speak with you. And there are things you must know."

"Please, Padme," Anakin choked out. "Tell me. What do I need to know? Why have I returned? What is happening?"

Padme frowned, sorrowful. But Anakin recognized enough of her expression, had spent enough time near her, observing her perfect features, to know her look of fear. She was terrified.

"There is a disturbance in the Force."


	4. Chapter 4

Anakin's eyes were wide, and fearful. He knew that once the Force decreed something, it was not to be challenged—especially not by mortals like him. _Yes_, he thought, his eyes searching his deceased wife's face, _I am mortal. For many years I believed I was not. I believed the power was mine, and mine alone. But the Force has brought me back, and the Force is what keeps me alive._ Now, as he learned of a new disturbance, he could not help but feel the disquiet within himself, too. The dead springing back to life, in their younger bodies? It was unheard of! Anakin yearned to find answers to his questions. Panic rose in his chest as the ghost-image of Padme flickered slightly, a breeze of wind catching him on the shoulder and making him wonder if she were as fragile as the leaves that blew above them in the trees.

"You are right to be afraid," Padme intoned, sounding like the diplomat she had once been. "By all natural ways of the world, you should not be here. Not like this. Yet here you are."

"Nor should you be here, my dear," Anakin replied, not unkindly. He missed his wife and was grateful to see her here, but he knew deep down in his core that she was here wrongfully. "You were not a Jedi during your life. You should not be able to appear to me like one. Why does your essence linger here on Earth?" Padme's eyes lowered to her feet, and was silent. Anakin wondered if Force-ghosts could cry; for if they could, his wife seemed as though tears would soon trickle from her eyes.

"I don't know, Ani," she replied, her voice quivering. "All I know is the Force sent me here. To you. To tell you why you are here. Then...then, I imagine, I will return to where I was before."

"Padme," Anakin felt compassion fill him, and a desire to hold her. He took a step towards the woman he loved, and found he could only pass his hands through her ethereal figure. Disappointment flooded him, but he tried not to let it show. "Do you remember what it is like...there?"

Her eyes were wide, as though she were trying to remember, but finally she shook her head.

"No. I do not. All I remember is the need for you to find me...and now this. But that is all."

Anakin nodded, and crossed his arms, trying to mull over this entire situation in his mind. It was almost too much to handle. One moment he had died in the arms of his son, and now he was here, alive, speaking with what he imagined was the ghost of Padme. _Could it be a trick_? he wondered. _Could some skilled Jedi be controlling my mind, trying to get me to reveal information_? He had known of such skilled men and women, able to use the Force to such evil ends. Yet he could not help but trust her, and in the Force which had guided him to her. Trick or not, he was invested now. _And when I am invested, I follow through_. Looking into Padme's beautiful eyes, and seeing her parted lips, he quickly became certain. This was Padme. Just as he remembered her. The creases of worry and sorrow had left her brow, leaving her young-looking and healthy.

"Tell me of this disturbance," he said, steeling himself.

"Though our children helped the Alliance defeat the Empire...and your rule, as Darth Vader-do not fret, my love, I have already forgiven you-though they have defeated the Imperial rule, loyalists still exist throughout the galaxies. They are called Imperial Remnants, and their numbers grow. Luke and Leia may have been able to destroy clones and the figurehead, but they could not defeat the spirit of the Empire. Not completely. And they know this. Still today they work to build the Jedi order and restore peace to the galaxies."

Relief washed over him.

"So Luke and Leia are alive and well?" Padme could not seem to hide her joy, either. A tiny, almost hidden smile, slipped across her face.

"Yes," she replied. Anakin nodded, signalling for her to continue.

"It seems the Force believes you are needed, in this life. Somehow...I do not know exactly how...but there is a person who looks and sounds like you, alive and well. He was last spotted on this planet. He goes by the name of Skywalker, and he is feared." Raged flooded Anakin's senses.

"Someone is posing as me," he concluded, rhetorically. Padme nodded nonetheless.

"Yes. I do not know his motives. But I believe you were sent her...to deal with him." She paused, biting her lip ever so slightly. Anakin recognized this as the habit she had picked up when she was about to say something she did not wish to say. He had often seen her do this when speaking with him, or close friends. Never in politics. She had always been so strong and demanding, then.

"Ani," she began. "I...think you were brought back to redeem yourself. For the evils of the past."

Anakin frowned.

"Redeem myself? But how?" He couldn't help but recall all the destruction he had caused...all the deaths. How could he possible redeem himself for that? What other redemption existed for such crimes, but death? But if he expected an answer from Padme, he was sorely disappointed.

"Once more, I do not know." She met his eyes with her own. "It is for you to discover."

"But Padme, how can I do this on my own?"

"I never said you had to do it alone," she shot back.

"True," he replied. "But if I have returned in my body, why haven't you? Would it be possible to bring you back, with me? Padme, I am at a loss without you. I need you. How-" but before Anakin could finish speaking, she had vanished. His heart leapt to his throat, and in an instant he felt the familiar, fiery anger explode from within him.

"No!" he howled, his voice sounding inhuman even to his own ears. "No!"

_I can't lose her again_, he thought. _Not again. Padme! PADME! _

But she did not return, in either ghostly form nor in her physical body. Anakin could do little else but fall to the ground and weep, cradling himself with his arms as the length of his body was covered in the soil of the forest floor.

* * *

Ben strode back and forth in his prison on the Millennium Falcon, feeling his anger roll off of him in waves as he seethed quietly on his own. How _dare_ this Jedi throw him into a cell, like some kind of pirate! _They_ were the pirates, those two supposed "legends". Ayy had been swaning over them, telling him tales of their exploits, and how they had saved the Alliance from the sith. But all Ben could feel right now towards their "saviours" was contempt. Upon waking, Luke Skywalker had explained to him that his imprisonment was only temporary, until they verified his innocence and discovered why he couldn't remember anything. Ben didn't like the way the Jedi Master looked at him. There was a glean in his eyes, and he looked at him with both the severity of a teacher and the fondness of a brother. But to him, Skywalker was neither of these things, and Ben felt extremely alienated.

_Not to mention that I don't even know HOW I know what a brother is like_, Ben thought sourly. He had only been in this cell for a few hours, yet he was restless. He couldn't help but sit down every few moments and try to meditate on the well of emptiness in his mind, calling back any and all memories he could find within him. Yet nothing remained except disjointed feelings, and a few images that flashed by too quickly in his mind's eye for him to completely understand them.

Ayy had crept in every couple of hours to slip him some food, or to update him on their progress as they approached their destination: a forest-planet he had never heard of in his life. Which wasn't a surprise, really, since he couldn't remember the names of most of the planets. But some, he did. _Tatooine. Naboo. Alderaan_. Ben figured those planets were important to his past.

When the door to the prison-room slipped open, moving automatically to the side, Ben suspected Ayy had returned with water, and he felt relief flood through him. His throat was parched and he felt as though he had been stranded in the desert. Yet it was not the sleek, blue Twi'lek girl that slipped into the room, but the over-bearing, cold Chistori male they had found during their journey. He flared his nostrils as their eyes met, and did not move until the door had slid shut, clicking slightly as it locked itself. Ben stopped pacing, and crossed his arms.

"Why have you come here?" he asked moodily. "To shove your freedom into my face?"

The Chistori snarled.

"Reign in your feelingsss, young one," he admonished. "I'm not here to berate you. I'm on your sssside. I do not believe you've done anything wrong." Ben felt his shoulder's slump.

"Has Master Skywalker allowed me to be freed?"

"No," Bsshk-kar replied, flicking out his tongue. Ben didn't like his beady black eyes. There were no human emotions therein, and he could never tell what the saurian was feeling.

"Why not?" Ben asked, feeling his voice become louder. He curled his hands into fists. "You even said it, I've done nothing wrong! They're the ones who took me in." He cast his gaze to the floor, smouldering. The Chistori snorted.

"Perhapsss the Jedi Master could teach you a thing or two about controlling that temper of yourssss."

"I don't need his help."

"I think you do."

"Why are you here?" Ben asked once more, but this time, he was more on edge.

"I'm here to asssk you to co-operate, young Kenobi," Bsshk-Kar crouched down, so his face was level with Ben's through the glass of his cell.

"Co-operate?"

"Yesss. It pleassses me you have good earss, and that you can repeat what I sssay."

Ben wasn't the only one with a temper. He eased back into his seat, silent, but still frowning.

"I don't see why."

"Becaussse, young Kenobi, my sensess tell me they are to be trussted. A Chisstori knows that if you wish to sssurvive, you go where there is power. And the power laysss with the Jedi. You would do well in remembering thisss."

"Why are you telling me this? Why would you look out for me?" Ben asked, genuinely confused.

"Becaussse the girl likess you," Bsshk-kar replied, standing to his full, toppling height. "And I do not wishhh to see her sssorrowful."

Ben wondered if there was more to it than that, but he grudgingly accepted that if he wished to live, especially without his memories to remind him of his former allies, he would need to follow Skywalker's orders.

Whether they pleased him or not.

* * *

"So _you're_ telling _me_," Han began incredulously, his right eyebrow raised. "That this young boy we picked up is actually some reincarnation of Obi-wan?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but yes," Luke replied, knowing how insane he sounded, even to himself. "The power I sense in the Force is identical to Obi-Wan. I'm just shocked Leia didn't sense it, too."

"Obi-Wan was close with all of us, but closest to you, Luke," she replied. "And remember: you're stronger in the Force than I am. Which is why you're the Master Jedi and I'm just another Force-sensitive." Though Leia loved her brother, the worry was clear in her eyes. Both of his friends doubted him.

"I don't know how this is possible," Luke said, shaking his head. "I really don't. But that is undoubtedly Obi-Wan in there. And I have no idea how to react."

"Kid, have you considered that this could be a trick? That some Imperial scum is trying to trick you by surrounding him with some Force tricks?"

"Yes," Luke replied. "I've considered that. And I doubt it's possible. During my travels, I learned how to deflect such tricks. I have become more powerful, as Leia said, and there are not many people out there who could defeat me. Not anywhere nearby. And Ben is clear from the dark side."

"Then how is this possible?" Leia asked. Though her demeanour was calm, Luke could feel the tinge of fear in the Force, emanating from both of them.

"Don't be afraid," he said, comfortingly. "I'll take care of this. We just need to—"

"I'm not afraid," Han interrupted. "I just don't like having suspicious characters on my ship."

"Since when?" Luke asked, surprised. "You're a pirate, Han. You have been your whole life."

"Since _now_, Luke." Han said, pressing a pointed finger into his palm. "I don't like the sound of this. And I know you're tempted to look into his mind and figure him out, but I think this is better left alone. We can leave him at our next stop and he'll be well taken care of. If he remembers anything, he can holo you. Until then, I don't feel right about having him on the _Falcon_."

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but Leia strode over to her husband.

"Listen here, you scruffy nerf herder," though her words were insulting, her tone was endearing. Luke assumed his sister's former insults had become some kind of cherished terms. "I know you're getting skittish about this boy, but listen to Luke. This Force-sensitive has done us no harm. And whichever aura he has, Luke senses greatness in him." She rested her hand lightly on Han's shoulder, and Luke could see him slowly giving way to her words. "Let him stay with us, until Luke finds his own ship. Or at least until we can drop them off at the nearest Temple. And if the boy does anything criminal, we can deal with him then. You have one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy on your ship, and plenty of weapons. Are you really scared of a little boy with Force sensitivity?"

Han snorted, then rose to his feet.

"Fine," he said. "The boy stays."

Leia turned to Luke, and smiled. The Jedi Master was definitely impressed. He had witnessed the power of a woman's charm many times before, but this was the first time he had seen his sister utilize it so well. She had turned the stone-cold pirate into a soft, malleable spouse. Luke chuckled at the thought of him trying to manipulate Han, and knew it would _not_ go as smoothly.

"Thank you, Han, Leia," Luke said, rising from his seat. "You will not regret it."

"Let's hope not," Han muttered below his breath, and Luke nodded.

_Indeed_, he thought. _Let us hope_.

* * *

The Jedi dreamt.

_Anakin writhed in the all-encompassing darkness once more, his lungs empty of air. It was a horrible, choking sensation, and he felt his connection to the Force was lost. Then, slowly, his vision returned to him; but all he could see was mist. Finding his feet, he steadied himself and began walking through the mist. He could see vague outlines of humanoid figures, and hear their voices, but could not identify them as people he knew. _

"Padme?" _he called out, wondering if she had brought him to her world. But his wife did not return his call, and he felt a great unease sink into his chest. _

"Help! Is anyone here?"

_He was greeted by silence. Anakin cursed, and if anything were solid, he would have hit it. Instead he could only swing his hand through the mist aggressively, and watch it swirl beneath his fingers. _

"Do stop yelling," _he heard himself say. Yet he hadn't spoken. Anakin wheeled about, searching for this imitator's voice. Anakin wished desperately his ability to sense presences in the Force hadn't left him, for now he was truly blind. He began running, though in which direction, he knew not. His breathing became erratic, yet still he felt as though he were going nowhere. _

_His course ended when he was met eye to eye by his own form. This was the Anakin that Padme had spoken to him about. They looked quite similar, but Anakin could see that their eyes did not match. He could not exactly explain why—but it struck him immediately. _

"Who are you?"_ Anakin yelled, furiously. His doppelganger smirked, but offered no explanation to their resemblance. _

_Instead, he turned and strode off, and with every step he took, the mist began to clear, revealing a small city, darkened by the night. Lights shone through the windows, and Anakin's "clone" (for he knew not what to call him) strode silently down a path between the houses. Over a few hills, Anakin could see a ship; but not there were no other forms of transportation, and he guessed that this settlement was not the most prosperous of all. He heard a cat mewing curiously, but his eyes were not quick enough to find it, nor was he interested. His gaze was intent on his clone. _

_The doppelganger slipped a hood over his head, and took out a blaster from its holster. Once he reached the ship, he pinged the captain, keeping a hand on the weapon concealed within his cloak. When the ramp hit the ground, Anakin was filled with a sense of dread, and knew he had to stop what was about to take place. The captain greeted his doppelganger with a friendly, if not confused, composure—and Anakin did not blame him. It was the middle of the night, and an odd time for unannounced visitors. The Jedi could barely make him out, but from what he could tell, the owner of the ship was a tall and sturdy man. _

_Words between the two were exchanged. Anakin tried to move, but found he was frozen. He tried to yell, but his voice was caught in his throat, and came out as a whisper. Illuminated by the light coming from within the ship, Anakin could see the captain's eyes widen. His doppelganger silenced the captain's cries with the Force, and shot him in the throat. His doppelganger moved the corpse out of his way, and climbed onto the ship. _

_Anakin shook as the world quickly dissolved around him. The last thing to disappear was the captain's body, his dead eyes staring out accusingly at the Jedi he could not have seen. _


End file.
